It is estimated that there are 400,000 wrist (distal radius) fractures per year in the United States. Among patients of Medicare age, up to 40% of these are treated operatively. In younger patients the numbers may be even higher.
Over the past ten years there has been a revolution in the approach to distal radius fractures. With the advent of the new locked volar plates, there has been a significant increase in the use of the volar approach to the distal radius, and in fact for many surgeons this is the only treatment. This approach involves retracting the deep pronator quadratus muscle from the distal radius, while not stretching the overlying median nerve, to expose the bone and facilitate plate application